Icewind Dale 2 questions

[Judicator]

Not sure if this is the right place to ask this, but I figure a lot of people have played Icewind Dale 2 around here.

So I finally got the game and I'm having a blast. I don't know why I haven't played it before.

 

Anyway, here are my questions.

First, how do ECL characters and monster xp work? I've been thinking of having my next playthrough be with a party consisting of 2 Aasimars, a Deep Gnome, a Drow, a Wild elf (or maybe a human), and a Dwarf. By my estimates my party's level should be roughly 2 levels under what it normally would be. Does this mean the party will get more xp like in Neverwinter Nights 2 until it eventually evens out?

My second question concerns paladins. Is there any point in putting points in wisdom? Their spell list is nothing worth talking about and is redundant with a cleric in the part. Also which would be a better build Paladin 8/Fighter X or Fighter 4/Paladin X? Essentially Smite Evil and Lay on Hands vs. bonus feats.

[Monte Carlo]

Hi.

 

You are more or less correct on the ECL question. It's just slower levelling.

 

As regard paladins, IIRC you need a base Wis of 10 + 1 per cleric level spell you wish to cast.

 

So for a 4th level Cleric spell, a paladin needs 14 Wisdom at least.

 

So, yeah, buff it a bit. Your Charisma will impact saving throws more, obviously.

[Judicator]

Hi.

 

You are more or less correct on the ECL question. It's just slower levelling.

 

As regard paladins, IIRC you need a base Wis of 10 + 1 per cleric level spell you wish to cast.

 

So for a 4th level Cleric spell, a paladin needs 14 Wisdom at least.

 

So, yeah, buff it a bit. Your Charisma will impact saving throws more, obviously.

So what does that mean? That an ECL party would eventually catch up?

 

I figured Paladin spells aren't very useful. Might as well just pump Strength, Constitution, and Charisma. That way he'd essentially end up as a Fighter with Smite Evil, limited healing, good saves, and the Holy Avenger. Sounds pretty good to me.

Edited April 2, 2014 by Judicator

[Monte Carlo]

Your ECL2, for example, means that you need +2 more levels of experience points to level up. So a human ECL 0 character who ends the game at level 16 would be two levels ahead of, say, a Drow.

 

You could catch up by farming / extra encounters / resting in dungeons or (my preferred option) making a smaller party.

 

Edit - I had a drow fighter in my original party of four characters. He ended up level 15 I think. The rest of the party were higher.

Edited April 2, 2014 by Monte Carlo

[Judicator]

Your ECL2, for example, means that you need +2 more levels of experience points to level up. So a human ECL 0 character who ends the game at level 16 would be two levels ahead of, say, a Drow.

 

You could catch up by farming / extra encounters / resting in dungeons or (my preferred option) making a smaller party.

 

Edit - I had a drow fighter in my original party of four characters. He ended up level 15 I think. The rest of the party were higher.

No, I understand that ecl character are always going to be behind the normal ones. I guess I didn't make my self clear. I remember reading that the xp you get from monsters is calculated based on party level. So if you have some ecl characters it brings the total party level down and you get more xp per kill. It was like that in Neverwinter Nights 2, having Neeska in the party made you get slightly more xp because she was always one level lower than you.

[Monte Carlo]

Oh, my bad. I'm sorry, I'm not sure if it works that way.

 

Although I don't think ECL (encounter level) is in IWD2 if memory serves.

[Judicator]

Oh, my bad. I'm sorry, I'm not sure if it works that way.

 

Although I don't think ECL (encounter level) is in IWD2 if memory serves.

Actually, I just tested this and it does work that way. I killed an enemy with my party, then I reloaded and replaced one of the chars with a level one character, then I killed the same enemy again and got more xp. So an ecl heavy party should eventually even out with a non-ecl party level wise. It will be a hard first few levels though.

[Bester]

be with a party consisting of 2 Aasimars, a Deep Gnome, a Drow, a Wild elf (or maybe a human), and a Dwarf. 

JESUS CHRIST. Don't you imagine their biography, personality, dialogues while you play? Or do you just play silently by yourself, hacking through monsters? Must be so boring...